The present invention relates to an obstacle detecting control device of a vehicle, which includes a radar device to detect an obstacle in front of the vehicle and an operational-device control device to control an operational device of the vehicle according to an obstacle detecting information detected by the radar device.
Conventionally, an obstacle detecting device that detects an obstacle in front of the vehicle with a radar device such as a millimeter-wave radar device is known. According to this device, the obstacle in front of the vehicle, including a vehicle traveling in front, is detected by the radar device, and when a vehicle hitting the obstacle is predicted based on the obstacle detecting information, an operational-device control device operates a brake or a seatbelt pre-tensioner to wind up a seatbelt of a passenger.
The radar device, for example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2001-33550, is configured to detect an object by transmitting an electric wave and receiving a reflected wave that is generated by a reflection of the electric wave on the object. And, the object is recognized as a potential obstacle that is to be hit by the vehicle when a received intensity of the reflected wave (reflection intensity) is a specified threshold or more, and then the object is pursued continuously. When the vehicle hitting the obstacle is predicted, the brake and seatbelt pre-tensioner are operated.
Herein, the above-described specified threshold for determination as to whether or not the object detected by the radar device is a potential obstacle to be hit by the vehicle has a preset value of −50 dBV, for example.
However, if the specified threshold has only one value for the determination, there is a risk in that some object having no possibility of hitting against the vehicle would be mistakenly recognized as the above-described potential obstacle. This error recognition may occur in a case where the object is a stationary one. For instance, in a situation in which a slope 71 provided at an entrance of a two-story parking lot is comprised of gratings (meshes), as shown in FIG. 5A, and a connecting portion 72 of the gratings is comprised of a H-shaped steel member shown in FIG. 5B, there is a risk in that this connecting portion 72 would be mistakenly recognized as the potential obstacle that may be hit by the vehicle. Thereby, when the vehicle approaches the slope 71, the brake or the restraint of the passenger with the seatbelt would occur improperly.